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The University of Mississippi Athletics
French Named Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year
6/21/1999 | Football
February 23, 1999
JACKSON, Miss. - The Jackson Touchdown Club has selected Ole Miss All-America tight end Rufus French as the Mississippi Amateur Athlete of the Year.
A native of Amory, Miss., French will be honored during the 1999 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and Awards Banquet to be held on Friday, March 12, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Downtown Jackson at 6:30 PM.
French was a near consensus All-America pick during the 1998 season as he helped lead the Rebels to a 7-5 record, including a 35-18 upset victory over Texas Tech in the Sanford Independence Bowl. Although he still had one year of eligibility remaining, French decided to bypass his senior season to enter this spring's National Football League draft.
During his three years with Ole Miss, French appeared in 32 games, starting 20, as he played his true freshman season behind All-America tight end Kris Mangum, now a member of the NFL Carolina Panthers. French caught 84 passes for 814 yards and four touchdowns during his collegiate career, just 10 passes shy of the school tight end record of 94 held by Jim Poole. He signed with the Rebels after being projected as the nation's top high school tight end prospect following the 1995 prep season.
"This is a tremendous honor for Rufus and Ole Miss," said Rebel head coach David Cutcliffe. "He certainly had a major impact on the success Ole Miss enjoyed while putting together back-to-back bowl victories."
The Jackson Touchdown Club also announced it has chosen Jimmy Smith, an All- Pro wide receiver with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and a former Jackson State star, as Mississippi's Professional Athlete of the Year. Smith, who makes his off-season home in Jackson, recently concluded a stellar year in the NFL and devotes hours to charities in the Jacksonville, Fla., area.
The Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will present its annual Distinguished American Award and Contribution to Amateur Football Award at the March 12 banquet.
Bill McClellan, the retiring athletic director from the University of Southern Mississippi, will receive the Distinguished American Award. McClellan has overseen remarkable growth in USM athletics during his 13-year tenure as the Golden Eagle athletic budget has increased from $2 million to over $10 million dollars per year.
Dr. Charles E. Leonard, a Jackson dentist, will receive the Contribution to Amateur Football Award for his dedication to Jackson area athletics. Dr. Leonard is a former quarterback from Florida A&M and was recently inducted into the Rattlers Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition, 12 scholar athletes will be presented by the Central Mississippi Chapter of the NFFHOF for their athletic abilities and scholastic achievement.
A limited number of tickets remain on sale for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies and Awards Banquet. This year's Hall of Fame inductees include Mack Cameron, Bert Jenkins, the late James Harol Lofton, Jimmie "Mississippi Red" McDowell, Dot Easterwood Murphy, and Walter Reed.
The MSHOF reception, which features the unveiling of the new inductee plaques, will be held on Thursday, March 11, at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum off Lakeland Drive in Jackson at 6:30 PM. Reception tickets are $15.00 per person and tickets for the MSHOF Banquet are $50.00 per person with a table of 8 available for $400.00.
For ticket information, contact Tim Lowery, President of the Jackson Touchdown Club, at 601-932-1970. Media planning to attend either or both events should contact Glen Waddle at 601-948-4471 or 1-800-682-6423.
